Deposited latex articles



Julyv 10, 1962 w. J. DoRsEY DEPOSITED LATEX ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed Nov. 13, 1959 nrt 24 INVENTOR William J. Dorsey ATTORNEYl July 10,1962 w. J. DoRsEY DEPOSITED LATEX ARTICLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV.13, 1959 FIG.

Fl G l2 zNvENToR William J. Dorsey BY da@ Wm ATTORNEY Unite StatesPatent O 3,643,312 DEPOSHED LATEX ARTICLES William l. Dorsey, Dover,Del., assigner to International Latex Corporation, Dover, Del., acorporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 352,782 6 Ciairns.(Cl. 12S-521) rlhis invention concerns deposited latex articles, forexample latex girdles, and methods of forming them. It providesintegrally formed pockets in the Wall of the article, which pockets maytbe used for anchoring garters, straps and the like therein.

Deposited latex articles such as girdles` and brassieres usually haveaccessories such as garter straps, shoulder straps, or other attachmentsaflixed to the marginal portions thereof. A major problem encountered inproducing such articles has been the limited ability of the portions ofthe deposited latex articles to which the attachments are joined, towithstand the repeated flexing and pulling to which they are subjectedduring the wearing of the anticles. Many expedients have previously beenused to join such attachments and straps to the latex article but theyhave sulfered from various drawbacks, such as requiring a complicatedmethod of manufacture and attachment, or requiring the use of exposedends and buttons. Other drawbacks are that the attachment straps arepermanently secured to the latex article so that replacement of worn andbroken straps is difficult. Conversely, other prior methods attach thestraps in such a way that they often work themselves loose and becomedetached from the latex article.

The present invention provides a special type of pocket within thecontines of the wall of a deposited latex article which pocket is soconstructed that a hook, which carries a garter strap or otherattachment, lmay be quickly and easily inserted and locked into positionwith no possibility of its working loose. At the same time, it may bequickly and easily removed from the pocket at the desire of the wearer.

The special pocket of this invention comprises an open pocket formedintegrally inthe wall of the deposited latex article, said pocket havingan integral stanchion of solid latex which joins facing surfaces of thepocket and acts as a core around which a garter strap-bearing hook maybe locked. There is thus provided a method of attaching garter strapsand other attachments which is secure and completely foolproof, andwhich at the same time allows the hook to `be instantly removable. Theintegral pockets of this invention may be spaced in the Wall away fromthe edge of the deposited latex article, or located at the edge of thearticle. The pockets are formed so that an integral stanchion of solidlatex unites opposite, or facing, Walls of the pocket at a positionwhich is spaced from the closed sides of the pocket. The stanchion oflatex is preferably positioned in the middle of the pocket, may be ofany desired height and thickness, and may be cylindrical in shape, orkidney-shaped, or any other shape so long as it connects two oppositewalls of the pocket and is sufliciently strong to act as a support for ahook which may be inserted into the pocket. 'I'he stanchion may also bedescribed as a solid bridge, or island, connecting two opposite walls ofthe pocket.

By making the stanchion of such size and shape as to fit the contour ofthe inserted hook very closely, a strong, positive locking action isobtained, particularly where the inserted hook, together with thestanchion, practically completely lill the pocket so that no room isIleft for any play by the hook. As shown in 'FIGURES l, 5, 7, and 9-12,the stanchion has an inwardly facing convex surface, i.e., that surfaceor boundary of the stanchion 3,43,3l2 Patented AJuly l0, 1952 lCC Thisis possible because the rubbery latex material stretches to admit thehook and then contracts to its orig-ind dimensions whereby the hook isheld securely and tightly. More than one stanchion may be provided,spaced in such a way that one stanchion acts as the core around whichthe hook is engaged and another stanchion acts as a guiding andrestraining member to further eliminate the possibility of any motion ofthe hook. Articles having such integra-l pockets have superiorserviceability under the stresses occurring during use. The straps andattachments are securely and tightly held to the girdle by thisinvention wit'hout any bulky protruding areas, without the danger ofworking loose, `and yet at the same time are instantly and easilyremovable at the wish of the wearer.

In accordance with the present invention, the integral pocket containingthe integral stanchion is formed through the use of a latex-separatingmaterial which prevents adhesion between successive depositions of thelatex so as to `form a closed pocket containing the integral stanchion,and by subsequently cutting the article to open the pocket. After thepocket has been opened, the latex on either side of the latex-separatingfilm is separated, and the latex-separating film removed to form thefinal open pocket.

When an integral pocket is positioned as described above with respect tothe wall of the `deposited artic e, the plane of stress resulting fromtension on the attachment is positioned somewhat centrally with respectto the wall lthickness of the article, since the pocket hasapproximately equal wall thicknesses on both sides, and any pull on ittends to be transmitted to both adjacent walls wit-h resulting uniformdistribution of the stress. This avoids undesirable concentrations ofstress at any point in the region of attachment of a strap to thearticle so that it is capable of withstanding more intense flexing andstraining without tearing.

The invention is described in greater detail in connection with thedrawings in which embodiments of the invention, as exemplified ingirdles and brassieres, are illustrated, it being understood that theseembodiments are shown las examples of various forms that the inventionmay take and not by way of limitation thereof.

In the drawings:

FIGURE l is a -front View in elevation showing a deposited latex girdlehaving integral reinforced pockets for the attachment of garter straps;

FIGURE 2 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 2-2 of FIGURE =lshowing an integral reinforced pocket and attached garter strap;

FIGURE 3 is a plan View of an assembly used to form a reinforced garterattaching pocket;

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3showing the position of the film in the assembly;

FIGURE 5 is a view in elevation of a portion of the girdle beforetrimming showing la potential pocket lin the wall of the girdle and theline along which it will be trimmed,

FlGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view takenalong the line 6 6 of FIGURE 5showing the assembly embedded in the Wall of the girdle;

vFIGURE 7 is a View in elevation showing the portion of the girdle ofFIGURE 5 cut along its trim line;

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7showing the reinforced pocket produced in the wall of the girdle -bycutting along the trim line and removal of the non-'adhering iilm;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary View of back and front portions of a depositedlatex brassiere having integral pockets aoc-asia in the wall of thebrassiere with the ends of a shoulder strap mounted therein; and

FIGURES 10, 1l, and 12 show various positions and coniigurations of thestanchions which may be formed in the pocket to assure close, snug fitof the hook.

In the drawings, FIGURE l illustrates in general a deposited latexgirdle 2@ having a front wall 21 and a back wall 22 which form acontinuous body-encircling elastic garment. Positioned in both the frontand back walls of the girdle at the bottom edge 23 thereof are spacedgarter tab,v strap or ribbon receiving pockets 24 which extend from theedge of the girdle vertically upwardly within the confines of the wallthereof. Each side of pocket 24 has embedded therein a fabricreinforcement 25 which forms a reinforced wall deiining a wall of thepocket (see FIGURE 2.) The pocket is formed so that the Vertical openingtherein lies in the plane passing through approximately the median ofthe wall of the girdle.

Within pocket 24 is positioned the free end of a hook 26 which isattached to a garter strap 27 or other attachment. The free end of thehook 26 is held in fixed position by virtue of its being hooked aroundthe solid stanchion, bridge, or island, 3S. Although the wall having thefabric embedded therein is less resilient, the remainder of the wall ofthe girdle is of such an elastic character and thickness as to bestretchable and to provide form-fitting control for contouring the humanform.

The support pockets 24 are formed within the wall of the deposited latexgirdle during a dipping operation, conducted in a manner similar to themethods described in U.S. Patent'No. 2,360,736, issued to A. N. SpanelOctober 17, 1944. When the deposited latex girdle has, by successivedipping, acquired a wall thickness of about 0.005 to about 0.015, thedipping operation is interrupted and a reinforcing patch 28 placed onthe partially formed girdle. Reinforcing patch 28 (see FIGURES 3 and 4)is formed from two layers of an impregnable fabric Z5, such as nylontricot, rayon, silk, cotton net and the like, with a rectangular vpieceof latex-separating iilm 29 therebetween, which film has a cut-outportion 33 therein. It will be understood that in the subsequent dippingprocess, the latex will be deposited onto the wall of the article, intothe impregnable fabric, and will ilow through the opening 33 to form theintegral stanchion 35 which is continuous with and connects the twoopposite walls of the article. The film 29 also has a cut 34 thereinwhich extends from the opening 33 to one edge of the iilm, as indicated.This cut 34 facilitates the removal, if desired, of the film 29 from thepocket at the end of the trimming operation. The fabric portion 25 ofthe patch 28 has an oval body 30 terminating in a downwardly projectingsection 31. Sandwiched between the two fabric layers 25 is therectangular shaped film 29 having surface characteristics such that itdoes not adhere to either the wet latex or the latex lm after curingthereof.

Film 29 is positioned rbetween the sheets of tricot so that a portion ofthe Vrectangle extends into the downwardly projecting section 31 and maybe held in place by spot cementing which aids in holding the patchtogether and facilitates ease of handling of the patch when it isapplied to the Wet partially formed latex girdle (see FIGURES 3 and 4.)The patch is positioned on the partially formed wet latex girdle inappropriate positions Where the garter straps are to be located. Whenthe patch is pressed against the wet latex, the latex is embedded in theinterstices of the fabric on the surface of the patch. The surface ofthe lm due to its non-adherent characteristics, resists surface adhesionand a wall of the potential pocket is created. Subsequent dipping of thegirdle in the bath of latex completes the impregnation of the fabric sothat the patch assembly is confined Within the wall of the depositedlatex girdle as an integral part, while the presence of the opening 33in the film '29 allows free passage of the latex therethrough to form astanchion connecting two opposite walls of the article. This forms,within the wall of the girdle, a closed reinforced pouch of the size andshape CII thin rubber article.

of the lrn (see FIGURE 6), with the integrally formed stanchion 35therein.

Upon completion of the dipping operation, the girdle is passed through afurther processing step to effect curing of the latex to give -itrubber-1ike quality. After curing of the girdle, it is stripped from theform and the top and bottom of the girdle are finish-triininedalongtheir trim lines. Trim line 32 in FIGURES 5 and 6 correspond to thebottom edge 23 of the girdle. The trimming operation removes the excesslatex which has been used to assure complete coverage of thegirdle-generating surface of the dipping for-m. Since the patch 2Sispositioned so that section 31 extends past the trim line, it is simpleand easy to open the closed pocket along a Vlocus positioned on thebottom edge. of the girdle. Such trimming con- Verts the closed pocketinto a-rectangular, vertically eX- Y tending open pocket 24, reinforcedon each side by fabric embedded `in the adjacent deposited latex (seeFIGURE 8.) This construction provides reinforced pockets, or slots,within the wall of the girdle so that support straps, ribbons, and otherattachments may be associated with the girdle by the simple expendientof inserting the hook, to which the straps, etc. are attached, into theopen pocket and hooking it over and around the solid stanchion of latex35. The hook may be removed when desired, sirnply by pulling anddisengaging it from the solid stanchion of latex.

The'lateX-Separating material may be a single sheettof film or aplurality of sheets, depending on the desired size of the stanchion.When more than one sheet of film is used, they are superimposed on eachother so that the openings 33 therein are aligned.

As heretofore described, the support pockets of this invention may.be-formed in a deposited latex brassiere, such as the brassieredescribed in the patents to L. A. Spanel, et al., Nos. 2,721,323 and2,797,415. FIGURE 9 illustrates a fragmentary section of a typicaldeposited latex brassiere 40 having a frontal section 41, spaced breastreceiving-cups 42l and back portions 43, only one back portion beingshown, to form a body-encircling band. Positioned along the top andbottom edges of the brassiere are bands 44 and 45, respectively, whichdeiine the edges of the garment and act as reinforcements. Above eachbreast cup in the edge of the garment, yis `a rectangularly shapedpocket 46. Each side Vof the pocket is faced with a fabric section 47embedded in the walls in the manner heretofore described. The pocketextends downwardly from the top edge of the lbrassiere and issubstantially centralized with respect to the median of the wallthickness of the brassiere. Each backsection of the brassiere has asimilar rectangular pocket 4S formed in the same manner as heretoforedescribed. Pocket 48 together with pocket 46 provide means for anchoringthe ends of a shoulder strap 49 to the brassiere, one end of theshoulder strap 49 being positioned in pocket 46 and the other end inpocket 48. The ends are aixed in the support pockets in the wall of thebrassiere by inserting the garter strap hooks 26 into the pockets andengaging the solid stanchions 35. In this manner both shoulder strapsare attached to the brassiere in a way which results in a strong anddurable attachment to a relatively It will be appreciated that manytypes of support attachments may be anchored in support pockets inbrassieres and the like, such as zippers, hook and eye fastening stripsand the like which must be attached to facilitate assembly on the bodyof the wearer or for comfort of the wearer.

As previously indicated, the solid stanchion may be cylindrical, orkidney-shaped, or any other shape, depending on the particularconiguration of the hook which is to be used. A stanchion having akidney shape will be positioned so that the broad curvature of thekidney shape will be facing the interior of the pocket and the lessercurvature facing the open side of the pocket. The lesser curvature ofthe hook will thus engage the broader curvature of the kidney-shapedstanchion and will result in a snug, tight tit. By using a hook of suchsize that it practically fills the pocket completely, in combinationwith the stanchion, the snug lit of the hook is further er1- hanced.Thus, the hook and the stanchion may be so proportioned that thestanchion tends to squeeze the hook tightly against the walls of thepocket. The hook may be of such size also, that it is completely hiddenWithin the pocket.

As previously indicated also, more than one solid stanchion may beformed within the pocket. This may be accomplished by having pluralopenings in the lm 29 which may be arranged in any desired manner. FIG-URES 10, 11, and 12 show pockets 50, having integral stanchions thereinarranged in various ways. FIGURE shows a pocket 50 with a main stanchion51 and smaller stanchions 52 and 53 on each side whereby the hook 26,shown in outline, is held in a firm, unmoving position, yet is quicklyand easily removable. FIGURE 1l shows three stanchions with the mainstanchion 54 being kidney-shaped. FIGURE 12 shows two stanchions 55 and56 so arranged that they form a channel into which the hook is insertedand kept snugly in the pocket. As shown in FIGURE 12, stanchion means'5S and 56 provide a convexly-curved passageway adapted to mate with theconvexly-curved hook 26. Other arrangements using three, four or morestanchions may be made.

Any material which will produce an area of separation and non-adherencewithin the Wall of the deposited latex garment may be used. Exemplary oflatex-separating materials are plastic lms such as cellophane andpolyethylene, etc. and metal foils such as aluminum foil or tin foil,etc. A lm thickness of from a few thousandths of an inch to 174,2provides good results and facilitates ease of handling of the patchassembly but the thickness can be varied in accordance with designrequirements.

The reinforcing lfabric advantageously is tricot-type fabric woven ofnylon, rayon, silk or other bers but other woven, knitted or foraminousmaterial, such as marquisettes, bobinettes, Helanca types `and the likewhich will become impregnated and provide strength to the wall of thearticle may be used.

The position and size of the pockets for attachments and accessoriesdepend on the particular use of the attachment and the article. If thepocket is located in the wall of the article in such a fashion that itis not close to an edge, the pocket may be formed by slitting one wallof the article so that a hook may be inserted into the pocket. Bothinside and outside attachments can be, made at the same location on thearticle by slitting through both Walls of the pocket so as to form anopening available from both sides of the article. Although thelatex-separating film used to form the pocket may be removed from thepocket after the pocket has been opened, under some conditions it may beallowed to remain in the pocket to add additional strength.

The wall thickness of the deposited article depends upon its intendeduse and, in the case of a girdle, a wall thickness of about 0.015 to0.030 is an effective range. It has been found that each wall of thepocket may vary in thickness, an effective range being 0.003" to about0.025", depending upon the thickness of the garment, the stress to beapplied thereto, and the amount and type of reinforcement. Generally,thickness, size and shape of the pockets will depend upon the nature ofthe attachment made thereto and the stress and strain to be transmittedthrough the Wall of the garment.

Although the present invention has been described with particularitywith reference to preferred embodi ments, it will be obvious to thoseskilled in the art, after understanding the invention, that variouschanges and modiications may be made therein Without deparing from thespirit and scope of the invention, `and the appended claims shouldtherefore be interpreted to cover such changes and modications.

I claim:

1. A deposited latex garment comprising a deposited latex wall with atleast one open pocket integrally formed and positioned within thecontines of said wall, said pocket having closed sides, an open side andan integral stanchion of latex uniting opposite sides thereof and deninga passageway in said pocket, the region of the wall containing saidpocket comprising reinforcing means embedded in said wall for resistingstress placed upon the stanchion by an accessory adapted to be attachedthereto.

2. The deposited latex garment of claim 1 in which the reinforcing meansextends into the wall immediately away from the pocket.

3. The deposited latex garment of claim 1 in which the garment has anedge and an open pocket positioned in said edge.

4. The deposited latex garment of claim 1 in which a stanchion has anupwardly facing Yconvex surface adapted to engage an accessory-bearinghook.

5. A deposited latex girdle adapted to encircle and elastically shapethe torso which comprises a deposited latex bodyencircling garmenthaving a wall with a bottom-edge, said wall having an area adjacent thebottom edge thereof that is internally reinforced with fabric, apocket-like opening positioned in said edge in said reinforced area andextending upwardly within the wall, said pocket having an open side,closed sides and an integrally formed stanchion of latex unitingopposite walls thereof and spaced apart `from the closed sides of thepocket, whereby an attachment-bearing hook having a free end wheninserted into said pocket is locked therein by said integral stanchion.

6. A deposited latex brassiere adapted to encircle and shape the femalebody which comprises a pair `of breast cups, shoulder `straps. and adeposited latex body-encircling band wherein each shoulder strapconnects the top of a lbreast cup with the rear of the body-encirclingband; the body-encircling band having a wall and a top edge, the wallbeing internally reinforced with fabric in areas adjacent the top edge;open pockets positioned in said top edge in said reinforced areas andextending into the wall; each pocket being integrally formed within theconfines of the said wall and containing an integral solid stanchion oflatex uniting opposite sides of the pocket; said shoulder straps beingattached to hooks the free ends of which 0n being inserted in saidpockets become locked in position by the said stanchions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,524,449 Myers I an. 27, 1925 1,595,006 Kelly et al Aug. 3, 19262,300,154 Herbener Oct. 27, 1942 2,428,127 Sidnell Sept. 30, 19472,505,242 Herbener Apr. 25, 1950 2,522,375 Jones Sept. 12, 19502,659,085 Ericson Nov. 17, 1953 2,708,271 Steinberg May 17, 19552,797,415 Spanel July 2, 1957 2,806,221 Dorsey Sept. 17, 1957 2,813,526Beebe Nov. 19, 1957

